DefenceTalkAs Turkey continues its attack on Kurdish forces along the Syrian border town of Afrin, the Defense Department says the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is the common threat in the region, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White told reporters today. Published reports say Turkey launched the Afrin military operation Jan. 20. “[We] are […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkeys-assault-on-kurdish-fighters-concerns-united-states-71165/

DefenceTalkNATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller arrived in Ankara Monday on a long-planned visit that was unrelated to Turkey’s current military campaign against a Kurdish enclave in the northwest Syrian region of Afrin. But her trip provoked heightened interest, given that NATO’s two largest armies stand on opposite sides in the operation. Ankara says it […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-allies-clash-as-turkey-attacks-us-backed-kurds-in-syria-71133/

DefenceTalkTurkey gave Washington advance warning before launching an operation against US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces, and Ankara has “legitimate” security concerns in the area, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday. “Turkey was candid. They warned us before they launched the aircraft they were going to do it in consultation with us, and we are working now […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-gave-u-s-heads-up-on-syria-operation-mattis-71102/

DefenceTalkDeputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad warned on Thursday that Syria’s air force could destroy any Turkish warplanes used in a threatened assault on the war-torn country. “We warn that the Syrian Air Force is ready to destroy Turkish air targets in the skies of Syria,” Mekdad told reporters, according to Syria’s official SANA news agency. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/syria-threatens-to-destroy-turkish-warplanes-71092/

DefenceTalkTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Turkish and Russian officials would meet in the coming days to finalise the deal for Russia to supply its latest S-400 air-defence system to Ankara. “Officials will come together in the coming week to finalise the necessary work on the S-400 issue I wish them success,” Erdogan […]https://www.defencetalk.com/erdogan-says-officials-to-meet-to-finalise-russia-defence-deal-70995/

DefenceTalkTurkey’s access to NATO technology will be restricted if it acquires Russian S-400 air defense system as the current system is not “interoperable” with Russian missiles, a senior U.S. Air Force official said Thursday. Speaking to Defense News, Heidi Grant, the deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs, said the U.S might consider […]https://www.defencetalk.com/s-400-purchase-will-restrict-turkeys-access-to-nato-technology-70836/

DefenceTalkThe escalating diplomatic row between Washington and Ankara has so far not impacted NATO or US military ties with Turkey, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The United States relies heavily on an air base at Incirlik in southern Turkey to launch air strikes against the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria and Iraq. “The Turkish air […]https://www.defencetalk.com/no-impact-on-us-military-ops-amid-turkey-row-pentagon-70647/

DefenceTalkThe delivery of Russian-made S-400 (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) air defense missile systems to Turkey will begin within two years, Turkish Undersecretary for Defense Industry Ismail Demir said. “I do not want to give a concrete date because talks are under way to advance it. But I can tell that the delivery of S-400 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-to-start-delivering-s-400-systems-to-turkey-within-two-years-70562/

DefenceTalkThe US government has frozen arms sales to the bodyguards of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his aides attacked demonstrators in Washington last May, two senators said Monday. Senators Patrick Leahy and Chris Van Hollen said the move came after they proposed their own legislation to halt any sales to the Turkish Presidential Protection […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-halts-arms-sales-to-erdogan-bodyguards-congress-70485/

DefenceTalkTurkey has signed a deal with Russia to buy S-400 missile defence systems, its first major weapons purchase from Moscow, in an accord that could trouble Ankara’s NATO allies. The purchase of the surface-to-air missile defence batteries, Ankara’s most significant deal with a non-NATO supplier, comes with Turkey in the throes of a crisis in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/turkey-signs-landmark-russian-s-400-weapons-deal-70449/